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Ronin
A Wizard Bladesinger and consultant on various Arcane matters. Well versed in lore and the ancient Elven art of Bladesinging. Background Childhood Having survived the Phaerimm siege in 1371 DR, the elven inhabitants of Evereska began to rebuild their damaged city. To fortify the city's defenses and ensure the long-term safety of its people, Evereskans turned to a long-guarded elven tradition known as Bladesong. An extremely demanding martial art, Bladesong blended dance, swordplay and arcane magic into a seamless whole. Master Bladesingers were summoned from elven settlements across Faerun and were tasked with training a new generation of Bladesingers whose duty would be to protect Evereska from external threats. Elves who exhibited prowess in both spellcasting and swordsmanship were chosen by mentors at a young age and trained in a one-on-one, master-apprentice tutelage system until they fully blossomed as adept Bladesingers in their own right. Ronin was born to Erris Elamaen and Quinala Alavar of Myth Drannor and Evereska respectively. His father, Erris, was one of many Master Bladesingers who answered the Evereskan call and relocated to Evereska over a century ago. Erris chose the son of a widower as his apprentice and grew close to both his apprentice, Sarro, and his apprentice’s mother, Quinala. Quinala had lost her husband in the siege of Evereska and was left with 6 year-old Sarro and very little else apart from her modest tailoring shop. Erris and Quinala soon wed and bore two children, Ronin and Gredi. Though the younger elf Gredi was born under normal circumstances, her older brother Ronin was born with a rare disease that affected his growth. The siege on Evereska had left the city’s mythal, a magical protective barrier, damaged which caused it to create unpredictable - often harmful - magical effects, as was the case with young Ronin’s birth defect. Though rare, similar cases as the one afflicting Ronin did exist and Elven magic practitioners struggled to treat them or restore the mythal to its normal state to prevent such occurrences from continuing. This particular disease stunted Ronin’s growth; his child-like frame persisted well into his adulthood, restricting him from taking up arms and practicing in the ways of the Bladesong, or any other form of fighting for that matter. Even the rigors of spellcasting proved too taxing for his fragile body. His childhood, therefore, was spent within the confines of the city – even more so within the confines of his parents’ modest home so as to avoid the young tormenters who relentlessly taunted the tiny elf. This left Ronin with little else to do but get lost in literature and texts as a means of escaping the harsh reality he lived every day. He developed a keen passion for history and enjoyed learning about other races, great battles and the secrets of the realms. He became fascinated by long-forgotten mysteries and stories of brave adventurers who risked death to uncover that which was hidden. He would ask his father to bring him tomes and manuscripts whenever he ventured out of Evereska and would listen intently to all the travel stories he had to share once he was back. Pre-Barovia Even after Ronin grew out of his small frame – he was well into his 50s when that happened - and was able to finally commence his studies in spellcasting and swordsmanship, he always found time to bury himself in books. He expanded his reading into what limited material he could find on other realms and the secrets held within them. His curiosity and thirst for rare knowledge led him to soon learn more exotic languages in order to decipher ancient tomes he previously could not read. It was around when Ronin had turned 70 that the state of Evereska’s mythal worsened considerably. Originally built to shield the citizens it encompassed, the damaged magical barrier’s uncontrollable fluctuations now occurred more frequently, and often with devastating outcomes to the city and its inhabitants. Large areas of the city were rendered uninhabitable and many Evereskans lost their lives to the mythal’s unpredictable arcane discharges. The Bladesingers that were trained to protect the city and had done so valiantly for many years were powerless when it came to addressing this unfathomable threat. It took the aid of powerful wizards from across the realm to eventually somewhat subdue the mythal’s destructive state; however, the dormant threat still loomed large over the city of Evereska. The Evereskan High Council desperately turned to the city’s brightest scholars and tasked them with seeking out knowledge from the realm’s greatest libraries in hopes of unraveling the mystery surrounding the strange behavior of the mythal. Ronin jumped at the opportunity. Though his relatively young age was dwarfed by the centuries-old sages of the city, no one could question Ronin’s depth of knowledge on a variety of subjects. His well-honed mind, youthful energy and passion would be an invaluable asset in the search for answers. With the blessings of the High Council, Ronin bid his family farewell and left the city of Evereska for the very first time, remembering to pick up his favorite book “Volo’s Visit to Barovia” to keep him company throughout his travels. Barovia Showed intrigue and gave advice on Arcane mysteries like the crystal ball they found. His bladesinging proved useful against a group of Dire Wolves and Werewolves but his confidence while singing caused an early death. His spirit guided the party warning them of the Lycan's Curse of Ismark. He was revived in the Abbey of Saint Markovia but returned with hints of darkness and paranoia. Class He is a Wizard, a bit cowardly unless bladesinging he can still rely on his logic and arcane knowledge. Fighting Style But, when singing he changes from brains to a lethal grace. Mixing acrobatics with humming and his Elven blade. Once using his Misty Step to transport through mists from a basement to land on a Vampire Spawn with a twist and impale him in the chest. Related Articles Adrian's Journal, Remembering Ronin Lissë Unintentional Lessons, A Tale from Neverwinter